A Forgotten Star Trek & Transformers Crossover Turned The Enterprise Into An Autobot

It's hard to think of two science-fiction franchises more different than "Star Trek" and "Transformers." "Star Trek" teaches us to think of a world where cooperation comes before greed and warfare. "Transformers" is a story about an unending war, which only exists to promote action figures. Yet, they share some tenuous links. Leonard Nimoy, Spock himself, voiced two "Transformers" villains: Galvatron, a reborn Megatron, in 1986's "The Transformers: The Movie," and the treacherous Sentinel Prime in 2011's "Transformers: Dark of the Moon." Meanwhile, Spock himself helped inspire the logical Decepticon villain Shockwave.

During the 2010s, IDW Publishing held the comic book rights to both "Star Trek" and "Transformers." So, the publisher crossed over the franchises in 2018 with the five-issue mini-series, "Star Trek vs. Transformers," co-written by "Transformers" writer John Barber and "Star Trek" writer Mike Johnson. 

Artist Philip Murphy uses the character designs from "Star Trek: The Animated Series," so as to meld the "Trek" world more easily with the animation of "The Transformers." This sells the miniseries as a crossover that feasibly could've happened in the 1980s. (That said, the comic inserts two modern "Transformers" characters not part of the original cartoon, specifically the Geisha-styled Windblade for the Autobots and Airachnid from "Transformers: Prime" for the Decepticons.) 

The story begins with The Enterprise responding to a distress signal from a dilithium mine, which is under attack by the Decepticons. When the Decepticons team up with the Klingons, the Enterprise crew in turn ally with the Autobots. And yes, the series does not squander the lay-up of turning the starship Enterprise into a Transformer; the giant Autobot Fortress Maximus finds a new alternate mode.

In this version of the "Star Trek" galaxy, the planet Cybertron exists in the cosmos. As in the original "Transformers," the Autobots and Decepticons left their homeworld seeking new energy, crash-landed on Earth, and then awoke in 1984. In this telling, they left the planet on their living, transforming starships Fortress Maximus and Trypticon after the outbreak of World War 3.

Having seen humanity's barbarism, the Autobots initially don't trust the Enterprise crew, while the Starfleet crew don't know what to make of the robots, either. A mind meld between Spock and Optimus Prime clears things up.

IDW Publishing/CBS Studios/Hasbro

To give the Autobot-Starfleet alliance a leg-up, Kirk shares the Enterprise specs with his new allies, who rebuild their deactivated titan in the shape of the starship. As Fortress Maximus is still damaged, Kirk interfaces with the Autobot and helps pilot him with help from Autobot doctor Ratchet. The meld dubs itself "Fortress Tiberius" after Kirk's middle name. Designed by Murphy, Fortress Tiberius has the action figure simplicity you expect from a "Generation 1" Transformer.

The Autobot's powerful mind and desire for revenge on Trypticon almost overwhelms Captain Kirk, but in the end his morality wins out. Traditionally, Fortress Maximus is a Headmaster, a type of Transformer who telepathically bonds with a human. The Transformer's head then transforms into an exo-suit that their Headmaster partner can wear into battle alongside them. As the Transformers Wiki notes, Fortress Tiberius is a homage to this; who better than Kirk, the Enterprise's captain, to be the human partner of a Transformer who turns into the Enterprise?

Fortress Tiberius sends his foes packing. So, in the final issue of "Star Trek vs. Transformers," the Decepticons turn on the Klingons and try to conquer their home planet Qo'noS.

While the Klingons believe in honor, Megatron and the Decepticons have a different view: "The only honor is victory through any means." While the Decepticons can appreciate the Klingon's lust for battle, and the deception of their ships' cloaking devices, the evil Transformers see the Klingons as inferior bugs — little better than humans.

The series likewise contrasts the Autobots and Starfleet. Initially, Kirk is uncertain if they should help the Klingons due to Starfleet's Prime Directive of noninterference. Optimus counters with his own law, Prime's Directive: "By action or inaction, I shall allow Cybertronians to cause no harm to any civilization, no matter their relationship with my allies." Prime's typical motto is "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings" and the Autobots fight to ensure that. 

During the final battle, other members of Kirk's crew get to join in on their captain's experience piloting a Transformer. Spock, Scotty, Sulu, and "Animated Series" original characters Arex and M'Ress get robotic exosuits so they can fight alongside Fortress Tiberius and the Autobots. The suits resemble themselves as Autobots: Sulu's has a sword built in because he's a fencer; M'Ress' has a feline posture because she's a Caitian, etc.

IDW Publishing/CBS Studios/Hasbro

The series ends with the defeated Decepticons as prisoners of the Klingons, while the Enterprise and Fortress Tiberius set off on separate journeys. Since IDW lost the "Transformers" publishing license at the end of 2022, a sequel never came about. (Despite hints that Megatron still functioned.) However, the miniseries ended on an upbeat note combining the best of both franchises: "Live long, Autobots... and roll out!"